Do you find your new puppy or even older dog attempting to eat their stool? The common term for animals that consume their feces is known as coprophagia and it is one of the most disgusting things you can witness your pet doing. In my opinion there is nothing worse that your dog can do to make you feel ill yourself. Whether it is eating their own, or another animals stool, it is something that you should address sooner rather than later.
Dogs tend to eat their stool during the puppy stage but his habit has also been known to surface because of loneliness, boredom or from the animal being put on a strict diet. Coprophagia is a common occurrence in dogs and there is really no reason to be alarmed. Although there are over the counter medications available where pet supplies are sold, there is also a home remedy that is tried and true and should end the repulsive act without a trip to your veterinarian.
This is a quick and easy cure that can be purchased at your local grocery store for under two dollars. Purchase a can of 100% pumpkin, make sure it is 100% pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling, pumpkin pie filling will not work. Feed your dog one teaspoon of the pumpkin, once a day, for three days and you should quickly see the desire go away. With a puppy, you may have to repeat this process a couple times within the first couple months. If you see signs of the behavior returning, just begin the process again. This home remedy has been around for at least thirty years that I know of and has worked for all dogs that I have had in my care that had exhibited the behavior. If the pumpkin remedy does not work within four days of feeding the first teaspoon of pumpkin, you may want to contact your veterinarian.
Another habit I have had the experience of trying to break my dogs from is paw licking. That irritating sound of my dog licking his paws, sometimes until they were raw, would drive me nutty. Besides the repetitive licking sound being irritating it can also lead to infection, so it is best to counteract it as soon as possible. Once our vet ruled out the possibility of allergy related licking, I tried using an over the counter spray called Bitter Yuck, but that failed. Then a friend of mine suggested wiping my dogs feet every day with apple cider vinegar. After checking with my vet, to rule out any possible danger from the use of the vinegar, I decided to try it. A couple days after beginning the new regimen, the paw licking suddenly stopped and the silence was music to my ears.
Home remedies that really work can be a welcomed relief. As responsible pet owners, we should always consult with our veterinarian before acting alone to curb our pets not so appealing habits.
